Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc has announced the names of the five finalists from category one of its Prize for Innovation.
A statement by it issued on Thursday, the leading food and agro-allied group in Nigeria said this followed rigorous screening process, noting that the five finalists will now advance to the competition’s final stage – live pitch event to be held in Lagos.
“The event, which will hold on the 27th of January 2022, will be adjudged by a panel of notable experts in the food industry including, Adenike Adeyemi (CEO FATE Foundation), Mezuo O. Nwuneli (Managing Partner Sahel Capital Agribusiness Managers Ltd.), Mira Mehta (Founder and CEO of Tomato Jos Farming and Processing Limited); and Sadiq Usman (Director – Group Strategy and Stakeholder Relations at Flour Mills of Nigeria),” it stated.
It listed the five finalists for the maiden edition of the FMN Prize who will advance to the live pitch event to include Samson Ogbole (Ogun State), Amadi Ann Obianuju (Kogi State), Olarewaju Olufemi (Oyo State), Emmanuel Eze (Enugu State), and Chuks Ogbonna (Rivers State), adding that they represent various brilliant entries from Nigerian SMEs.
On the prices to be won, FMN said, “The winner in category one of the FMN Prize for innovation will receive a three million Naira cash prize and a three-month supply of Golden Penny products. The first and second place runner ups will also receive a three-month supply of Golden Penny products.
“Also, the top ten contenders in Category Two of the Prize for Innovation (also known as viewer’s choice) were recently announced on FMN’s official social media pages – @thefmngroup and @thefmnagro, where the public can vote for their favourite entry.”
The food giant further noted that in a manner that underscores the critical role of innovation in food production, several SMEs had submitted bold entries, including solar-powered storage systems, hydroponic farming solutions, bio-recycling plants, and newer methods of generating electricity from food wast.
The statement further noted, “As the leading food and agro-allied group in Nigeria, FMN has continued to maintain its commitment to the transformation of the agriculture sector and the long-term development of the food systems, which is vital for improving food security in the country.
“The Group believes that an innovation-driven food system is attainable in Nigeria and continues to underline its potential to contribute to the systematic growth of the country’s food value chain, in creating jobs, economic empowerment and, ultimately, to fulfil the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”
